A promo pack is a range of items used to promote a record such as an advert, a music video, a poster, a DVD cover. For this task I will be making a Digipak; this will include a CD with the album tracks including our song "Brown eyes" and will also include the video we have make for that song.
Before designing my own Digipak I have analysed two others from the same genre of music; i feel this will help me gain a better understanding of how best to design one and also give me some inspiration.
Analysis 1: Madonna "Music"
Front Cover:
This cover you can tell is from the POP genre; this is because it includes bright colours which is typically associated with the genre. I think it is more aimed at females then males due to the use of colours e.g. baby pink is typically a feminine associated colour.
Imagery:
The cover has a close up of the artist, the face in half covered by a cowboy hat; it immediately gives of the "Wild West" vibe and the colours are bright and eye catching.
Text:
The text is not the clearest and I feel would not stand out on a shelf; the yellow background for the text box doesn't make the pink writing of the artists name stand out but instead blend in.
Colours:
The bright colours add the POP feel to the cover and would easily catch the audiences eye amongst other's of its kind in a shop.
Back:
The back is following the same theme as the front; it has hay with the hat in the left hand corner. This is a good idea as it keeps with the theme and doesn't look to different from the front that viewers don't follow it. The text is small and not really noticeable next to the hate; this in my opinion is not what I want my cover to be, I want my audiences attention to be drawn to the track listings as it is an important part of the Digipak.
Analysis 2: 
Front:
The front is very much focused on the image on the centre of the page; it is off the band member and is a bright colour which grabs your eye. the background colour is dark which makes the image and text stand out more and is easy to read. It looks like it would appeal mainly to the female target audience as there is a lot of pink colours involved. I feel it also suites its genre of POP as it uses bright colours and the typical image of microphones in the hand also makes me automatically think of POP.
Back:
The back follows a similar theme to the front with the top having all five members outlines in different positions with a pink wave covering them; you also see spotlights which I think represents the fact that it's a tour DVD as these are very common on tours. The text it again white like the front on a black background making it easy to read. From my analysis of two flat plans I have recognised the main features; that the front and back usually follow a similar theme and colour scheme which I will take into account. Both of the above seem more aimed at the female target audience however because Lady Gaga has a wide audience I will try to make it appeal to all ages and genders but also make it abstract and more to her style.
Flat Plans:
When planning my own Digipak I drew three flat plans to express initial ideas, I tried to incorporate Lady Gaga's style with my own idea's so that it will suite her target audience.
Flat plan 1:
Front:
When designing this cover I took into consideration that it had to appeal to a target audience of all ages as Lady Gaga has a wide and diverse fan base in which i have mentioned in previous blogs.
Text:
I have chose to have a narrow text as I thought bold would take away the impact of imagery that i have planned to use. I want it to be large enough to read from a distance; as i have found out from research that the majority of Lady Gaga's Cover have large but simple text.
The above is the font and style of text I am planning to use for this design; the font is "Dotum" and I would use it in a size around 36 as this size is large enough to read from a distance but not so large that it takes over the entire cover.
Imagery:
For my images that I will be using I am only using one image; it will be a close up shot of the stars face. I have chosen to use one image because my research has shown that most covers consist of an image of the star and that is all. i have chosen to follow this because I feel that it will give the audience an image to be focused on rather then distracted by several smaller images. The image will be really Lady Gaga styled; long blond hair with brightly coloured face makeup to make the image more abstract and eye catching. Also behind the image will be a hand drawn version of thunder and lightening to match the title of the Digipak "Thunder and Lightening". I am aiming for the cover to have a cartoon feel to it; which is why I am dividing the page into lines.
Colour :
I have chosen for the cover to include a variety of colours; I have done this as i feel it will make it stand out on a shelve, it also will fit to Lady Gaga's unique and colourful style. As the Page is split into three the top triangle will be coloured purple, the main strip with image in will be white so that the images will stand out and the second triangle will be coloured orange. These colours have been chosen because they are bright colours and contrast well together.
Back:
My research has shown that most artists tend to follow the same theme for both the front and back of their digipaks; so I have tried to make sure my back cover follows the same style as the front. i have made sure i have split the page into three again to make sure it looks similar.
Text:
I will use the font "Dotrum" again so that the text looks similar to the front however the font will be dramatically smaller as more text has to fit on the page e.g. track listings, I will choose size 18. The text will still be navy coloured. When choosing the titles for my track listing I made sure I looked at Lady Gaga's previous covers; I noticed that her tracks were mainly short and snappy titles so again i tried to stick to this style for example: Red carpet, its two words and is easy to read.
Imagery:
Like the front I have chosen for it to be an image of Lady Gaga's face; I have done this to remind the audience of the artist and also to make it more easy to look at. The image will include half of her face at the side of the page so that it doesn't dominate the page but instead aids its visual appeal.
Colour:
I will follow the same colour pattern as the front cover, the three different sections of the page using the same colour as each on the front. I have chosen to do this as introducing new colours may make the cover look unorganised and not look as though a lot of thought and effort was put into the design.
Inside:
I aim to make sure the theme of the cover matches the inside so when planning the inside I have tried to include some aspects of the cover inside. 
Text:
I have chosen to use the same text as the front on the area where the disk will be placed; I have chosen this as it will stand out and look dynamic. However I will change the texts colour to black as I feel it will stand out. The text on the left side of the inside will be a completely different font as it's a large body of text so it needs to be a font which is easy to read in bulk. I have chosen for the font to be Ariel as it is a clear font which makes it easy to read below is an image of the proposed text: Obviously it will vary in size e.g. the title "Tour Dates 2011" will be size 16 whilst the actual dates will probably be size 14. The introduction to the inside and the end will be size 18/20 as it will be a message from Lady gaga presenting the tour dates.
Imagery:
I have opted against including an image of Lady Gaga inside as I feel two on the cover is enough, otherwise I feel there will be many images it will take away from other factors included e.g. tour dates. the only image I have decided to include is a cloud with lightening coming from it; I have chosen this because the title of the album is "Thunder and Lightening" so I feel this links the inside to the cover. I will draw the image on photo shop as I feel it will add a cartoon edge to the cover which I am hoping the outside will look like.
Colour:
As I have chosen to use a variety of colours for the inside as the front includes several colours, I have chosen to use the colours as a border around the tour dates. I will have five narrow lines of different colours vertically and then two yellow lines along the bottom and top to create a colourful border. However i have chosen to leave the background on both sides white as I feel too much colour may be off putting to read and takeaway the impact of the colourful cover.
Flat plan 2:
Unlike flat plan 1 I decided to draw a simpler and more focused cover; I chose this so when choosing upon a final design I will have a variety to choose from and my choices will not be limited. 
Front:
Text:
I would like the text to be bold so that it stands out, I have also decided to try positioning the text differently on this plan; i will have the "Lady Gaga" arched over the picture at the top of the page so this immediately grabs the audiences eye. I then will position the name of the digipack vertically down the right hand side of the cover. The font that I will be using is: 
The image above is a sample of the proposed font I wish to use for the cover of this digipak, the font is Castellar and feel that the artists name will be written in black so that it stands out and will be the largest of the text on the page around size 48. The title of the digipak will be size 36 so that it is readable by not so large that it over powers the artists name; i have chosen for it to be a lilac colour so that the cover isn't full of to much bold black text.
Imagery:
I will again choose to use one main image for the cover and this will be of Lady Gaga because obviously I want the audience to be able to distinguish that it is her album amongst other covers on a shelve. i will use an image of the person staring face on at the camera and shoot a medium close up shot so that some of their body is visible. I want the image to have one hand covering an eye to make the look more dynamic and abstract. For costume and make up I have chosen for the hair to be styled straight and bleach blond, I also require the eye makeup to be bright green and bold so that the eye is fully defined. I have chosen the artist to be wearing a neon pink coloured top.
Colour:
I have chosen bright bold colours to make the image stand out, I have chosen to use a white background so that the audience are solely focused on the artist and the title. the text as mentioned above will be two different colours:
I have chosen this because I feel these colours match and look dynamic together and will not make the cover look to cramped and unorganised.
Back:
Colour:
Like the front cover I wish for the background to be completely white, however I will place the track listings in a text box and colour the background orange so that it stands out. I will also highlight the exclusive box pink so that viewers are drawn to that( this is because it will be the part which advertises my music video).
Text:
I will be using the same font as the front for the text only it will be dramatically smaller in size and the colouring will be all black. I have chosen to the text to all be aligned to the left of the page so that it looks neat and well organised. Again i have chosen track titles to be short and snappy so that they fit in with the Lady Gaga trend; I feel this will allow fans to relate to as that is an aspect which draws them to like her; the short snappy titles of her songs which have contagious choruses.
Imagery:
I have chosen to use an image of a record player it will be a high angle shot so that it looks like you are looking down onto the record player. I feel this is something will Lady Gaga fans would appreciate as it is known for her passion for music, it will also add a retro vibe to the cover which is suited to my song of brown eyes.
Inside:
I have chosen to keep the inside basic as well as I feel it will fit in with the cover; unlike if the outside is rather basic and then the insuide being full of colour and packed with information as it will make it look different and as though it doesn't belong together.
Colour:
I have chosen to keep to the white background for the side with the CD disk as i feel it will make it stand out, The circle will be split into three the two sides on the left and right will be coloured light blue. I have chosen to include a light shade of colour so that it doesn;t appear to bland; this is because Lady Gaga fans will be expecting colour as she uses bright colours often in videos and in her appearence. For the left side I have chosen a pale orange background as this colour is on the back cover of my digipak and I feel it will link the two.
Imagery:
On the right hand side of the inside i plan to have a road run through half the page; I feel this fits in with the title of the digipak "In the distance" this is because a long road would be associated with a distance so I felt putting it through half the CD area would make it feel abstract and look dynamic and also suited to Lady Gaga. On the left side I have chosen for a collage of images to be placed over eachother; these will include long and short shots of Lady Gaga in different locations so that fans have something to look at; I feel thios would be an appropriate selection of images as its something audiences appreciate to see how their style is adapted in different locations etc.
Text:
There will be only a small amount of text on the inside; i have chosen to make it more visual with the photos rather then in depth text. I will have the title of the cover written in the disk holder so that it links the cover with the inside. I will also place a heading on the left hand side called "Behind the scenes.." this is to give the images a title so the audience feel like they are getting see a piece of Lady Gaga outside of her videos. The text will be approximatly size 20 and bold coloured white.
Flat plan 3:
For this design I have stuck with the theme of the video and brought it forward to my Digipak; i have doen this because I feel ti will set a theme that an audience will like and relate to.
Front:
Imagery:
I have chosen to use one image however It will look like two as i plan to split it in half. The image will be of a face one half stlyed very 60's look and the other a modern day Lady Gaga, its to represent the style of my music video how theres the past and present in everyones life. The image will be shot as a close up to convey the emotions on the face and also to highlight the bold makeup.
Colours:
As the image will take up the whole page, there won't be a background colour but I am going to match the colours of the text to the photos e.g. makeup and the black and white. The pink around th eye will be used for the font on one half whilst the black and white will be used for the font on the other half of the page. I feel this is suitable for a Lady Gaga cover and her audience as it portrays her artistic and abstract fasion with the bright make up and two halfs of a face.
Text:
The font on the cover will be large so that it is easy to read; I want to be well spaced out and not take over the cover but look large enough from a distance. The font will be the same for both the title and the artists name as keeping it throughout will make it consistant and look organised.
Back:
Imagery:
I have chosen to have an image of legs on the back of the cover I will colour them black and as the legs go to the feet I will have them fade to white to add an abstract effect to the cover. The shot will orignanally be a mid shot of the legs and I will later edit it on photoshop to create the colour scheme I have in mind.
Text:
The font will be the same as the front cover; I have chosen this because most covers fiollow the same treands and themes through out so keeping the font the same is one of these. However the size iof the text will not be as large as it doesn't need to stand out as much as the front cover. I will have the text allinged to the left side of the page to make it look neat and organised. The right hand conor will include the bonus which will be "Exclusive Brown Eyes Video" I am using the word Exclusive because on most covers you see words trying to sell the prodcut to its audience which I feel this text will.
Colour:
I have chosen to keep the same colour scheme as the front, I will use pink and black for the text alternating the colours for each track, I will also keep the background white so the text and imagery stands out. I feel these colours relate well to the genre of music that Lady Gaga fits it; POP usually includes bright colours but I have also kept it true to Lady Gaga by adding the abstract twist with the feet that fade.
Inside:
Imagery:
To keep the theme the same I am going to use the same image ont he front cover except fit it in a circle for where the CD would fit. I feel this links the inside and the cover well. I alsot think this is something Lady Gaga would do as she is very creative and the circle makes the image look abstract and different. It also follows its genre as most POP inside has writing or images in the CD holder.
For the left side I have chosen against having an image as I feel that would make it too like the cover and draw the attention away from the message on the inside, it may also have looked to chaotic with another large image.
Text:
The font for the inside will be a handwriting styled one to make it look personal so her audience feel likehe's connecting with them. On the right side I will ahve "Lady gaga presents..." aligned to the left and below the CD holder I will have "Past & Present" aligned to the right; i feel this will make the layout look organised which is what will mae it look more professional.
For the left side I have chosen to have a "thank you" message as from research Lady gaga seems to be all about her fans and constantly thanking them. The font looking like handwriting will make it feel more personal and really look like she wrote it inside herself this adds to the creativity of the project.
Colour:
The background colour will be black to make the text stand out and also the CD holder. The majority of Lady Gaga's cases include black bacgrounds inside. I will have the text coloured white to stand out on the background.
The spine will be a white line and the bottom of the page will include three white stripes which make the onside look abstract and also make it more eye ctahing and nice to look at.
The decision I have made for my final design is flat plan 3 however I have taken a piece of the inside of flat plan 2 and used that instead of a message to the fans. I have doen this because when I was discussing it with people they mentioned how they prefer seeing images of their artists rather then reading thank you messages as they are "predicatble"
Completed Digipak:
The Below is my final version of my digipak, I completed it using photoshop to edit and create the product.
Evaluation:
As part of my evaluation I have decided to create a FaceBook page and some questionnaires in order to gain some primary information from people I know who would fit into the target audience of my artist. I have done this because otherwise my evaluation will be very biased as i have created it and also it will provide me with a selection of feedback so that I can make comparisions and draw conclusions.
FaceBook feedback:
I uploaded the images and asked people I knew to send me their opinions below are print screens of their comments:
Comments for the cover: 
This comment is for the cover, the person mentions how I could have arranged the text down the bind to fit each character in each line rather then just being written over the top. I agree with this comment as it may have made the cover look more professionally. The person also commented on how this cover is relatable to other Lady Gaga covers which was one of my aims from the start, this shows me that audiences would be able to recognise it as a piece of her work. They also commented on my choice of colour for the text on the cover how the "+" coloured white is very faint; looking back at the cover I realise I should have chosen a bolder colour as it really doesn't stand out as much as it should. 
This comment mentions how the colour scheme used contrast with eachother and that the photos are good; I am glad that this person feels the colours go well as when choosing the colours I put a lot of thought into what colours would match well together. The comment also mentions about the feet how I could have had an image of someone wearinf really funky shoes, which i feel i could have done as it would have maybe appealed more to Lady Gaga's fans. 
I am happy that this comment mentions that the cover is bizare as that was the look I was hoping for as I feel it fits Lady Gaga's style. They agree that it is eye catching which is good and I am happy that they agree that the text is readble. As many comments have mentioned the legs that I could have made the shoes a really whacky pattern to stick more to Lady Gaga's style
Comments for the inside:
This comment mentions both positive and negative feedback it mentions how the CD with the face on it fits in with the theme of the digipak which was my aim from the start as it is important for them to folow a theme throuhgout as most others follow a theme. From this comment I could have improved the inside by maybe not having the heading "behnind the scenes" as from this comment the person clearly didn't see its purpose.
This comment mentions how its suited to Lady Gaga's style and that the scattered photo's really fit in well which I am glad as I wasn't really sure how well the photo's would go. However this comment mentions how I could have made the colour of the images different as both the colours clash.
Overall from the feedback i have recieved I could maybe have improved my digipak by making the image on the back cover have funky coloured shoe's and maybe have replaced the "+" with "&" to make it look more professional.
I personally feel that my final products meet the style of Lady Gaga and the genre her music is placed in. However I could have improved it by using the idea of whacky shoes on the end of the black legs to make it bright and funky.
